Not ready to rumble: Buffer to have throat surgery

Boxing announcer Michael Buffer, whose trademark rallying cry is one of the most famous in sport, will be silenced for several months due to throat surgery.

Buffer, 63, told Yahoo boxing reporter Kevin Iole in an e-mail Thursday that he'll be undergoing surgery to remove small tumours in his throat and neck.

"For the first time in over 25 years, I shall be taking some time off from announcing, acting, personal appearances and such for health reasons," Buffer said.

"Before I say the reason why, I want to be very clear that I intend to be returning to work as fit as ever as the prognosis and recovery for my health problem is very good to excellent."

After experimenting with other phrases, Buffer coined the now-ubiquitous "Let's get ready to rumble!" before the beginning of boxing matches in the mid-1980s.

He later obtained a trademark for the expression and it has appeared everywhere from video games to sports arenas to television shows.

Buffer has also announced wrestling and ultimate fighting shows, as well as appearing as himself in several movies and television shows, including Rocky Balboa, Against the Ropes, and Play It To the Bone.

He announced last week's pay-per-view boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas, won by Pacquiao.